METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SMART TOILET MINIMIZING WATER USAGE
An apparatus and method or a toilet which minimizes water usage and can handle urine and fecal matter. An ultrasonic vibration unit is disposed to clean at least one fecal plate which is rotated into a lower part of a toilet bowl. Occasional and periodic flushing of solid fecal matter results in less water usage than utilizing water flushing for cleaning and carrying away of solid fecal matter.
This invention relates to waterless urinals.
This invention relates to waterless toilets.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn a world with resources limited relative to world population, decreasing the use of water for flushing of fecal matter is an area of plumbing improvement which recommends itself. With a population which is becoming increasingly urbanized, potentially 6 billion flushes per day, at one gallon of water per flush, derated to a third, leaves 2 billion gallons of potential water saving.
Utilizing a bell trap with n oil-type odor-trap fluid, waterless urinals have been successfully implemented, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,711,037 (Reichardt, et al., 1998), 7,111,332 (Hsia, 2006). 8,234,723 (Allen, 2012), and 8,291,522 (Kueng, 2012).
Utilizing a recirculating pump, Roberts (U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,139, 1980) implemented a waterless flush toilet. This was not limited to, but noted for, buses.
A combined flush toilet and waterless urinal was shown by Abney (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2004/0098799, 2004). It utilized a waterless urinal in one bowl and a separate bowl for a flush toilet, combined as one unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention, in a preferred mode, utilizes a movable fecal plate where the moveable fecal plate moves past a fixed waterless urinal capsule, with a cleaner unit which cleans the fecal carrier plate.
The cleaner unit is preferably an ultrasonic cleaner unit which applies high-frequency vibration to the fecal plate while the fecal plate is submerged in a water or flushing-fluid which is typically of lower specific gravity (i.e., density) of water.
The fecal plate may be formed as a single plate or as an array of rotating plates on an axis.
The may be operated by a foot-pedal mechanical linkage or by electrical motor means.
The main cleaning function for fecal matter depends on an ultrasonic vibrator. The aim of this functionality is to conserve water, with only occasional and periodic flushing required, to remove solid waste build-up only; the main cleaning per fecal deposit being done by the ultrasonic vibrator cleaning unit.
The same type of lighter-than-water urinal odor trap oil/fluid may also be kept as a sealant over the water in the main toilet bowl.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
(Prior Art)
The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is merely made for the purpose of describing the general principles of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims.
It should be noted that the mechanisms herein can be implemented by manual means, e.g., periodic, occasional flushing of accumulated fecal matter, by turning or operating a valve. This and other functions can be implemented by mechanical or electrical timers.
Similarly, although it is illustrated that the fecal plate 30 is deliberately rotated into a cleaning position, yet, as understood in the arts, sensors, optical or weight-driven can initiate the rotation of a fecal plate 30 into a cleaning position, as fecal matter is detected accumulating of the fecal plate 30, with some specified time delay.
A variety of materials can be used in the construction of the different modes of the invention. A primary candidate for the fecal plates is teflon coated metal.
Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.
Claims
1. A toilet minimizing water usage, comprising:
- a toilet bowl with an upper and lower part;
- a fixed waterless urinal unit;
- at least one fecal plate disposed to receive feces;
- a mechanism to rotate the fecal plate into water in the lower part of the toilet bowl;
- an ultrasonic vibration cleaner disposed to clean the fecal plate when the fecal plate is disposed in the lower part of the toilet bowl;
- a holding pipe;
- a connection to a supply water system and a waste water system, for periodic, occasional washout of accumulated solid matter in the holding pipe.
2. The toilet of claim 1, further comprising:
- a mechanical system of levers and gears to operate the rotation of the at least one fecal plate into the lower part of the toilet bowl.
3. The toilet of claim 1, further comprising:
- a gravity-operated switch wherein the accumulated weight of fecal matter operates the switch and disposes the fecal plate to rotate down to the lower part of the toilet bowl
4. The toilet of claim 1, further comprising:
- an optical sensor wherein the accumulation of fecal matter disposes the optical sensor to operate a switch and disposes the fecal plate to rotate down to the lower part of the toilet bowl.
5. The toilet of claim 1 wherein the fecal plate comprises Teflon on metal.
6. A method for making a toilet which minimizes water usage, comprising:
- utilizing a toilet bowl with an upper and lower part;
- incorporating a fixed waterless urinal unit;
- having at least one fecal plate disposed to receive feces;
- rotating the fecal plate into water in the lower part of the toilet bowl by a mechanism;
- cleaning the fecal plate by utilizing an ultrasonic vibration cleaner when the fecal plate is disposed in the lower part of the toilet bowl;
- collecting solid fecal matter in a holding pipe;
- washing out periodically and occasionally accumulated solid fecal matter by valve connected to a supply water system and a connection to a waste water system,
7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:
- operating the rotation of the at least one fecal plate into the lower part of the toilet bowl by a mechanical system of levers and gears.
8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:
- rotating the fecal plate to a lower part of the toilet bowl by a gravity-operated switch wherein the accumulated weight of fecal matter operates the switch.
9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:
- utilizing an optical sensor wherein the accumulation of fecal matter disposes the optical sensor to operate a switch and disposes the fecal plate to rotate down to the lower part of the toilet bowl.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 15, 2013
Publication Date: Jan 15, 2015
Inventor: Walter Ho (Santa Monica, CA)
Application Number: 13/942,296
International Classification: E03D 5/12 (20060101); E03D 11/02 (20060101); E03D 9/00 (20060101);